The present invention relates to a drive mechanism for transporting magnetic tape past a read/write head, such as is wound inside a computer tape cartridge.
Drive units or streamers, as a component of a magnetic tape read/write unit, are used to transport magnetic tape in a number of applications, such as in the case of tape cartridges for personal computers. In systems such as personal computers, the size limitations for components make it desirable to produce the smallest drive unit possible. In known drive units, an electric motor drives a drive pulley which turns an engagement pulley via a elastomeric drive belt. The engagement pulley has stacked axially thereabove a friction roller, co-rotated with the pulley, comprising a rubber-like resilient material. The rubber friction roller opposes and abuts a cartridge "puck" or cartridge roller arranged in the tape cartridge. The cartridge roller is entrained by a cartridge belt which winds around two belt rollers located at the back corners of the cartridge. The cartridge belt partially wraps around the tape wrapped circumference of two tape holding spools arranged in the cartridge. Therefore, when the motor drives the drive pulley, the drive belt turns the engagement pulley which turns the rubber friction roller which, in turn, causes the cartridge puck to rotate which transports the cartridge belt, which rotates the wrapped spools which cause the magnetic tape to laterally move past the read/write head.